And as the years went by people began to forget about the palace. Only the old people would tell the children sometimes about the beautiful Princess who once lived in a palace where the briar-roses grew. But the children thought it was a make-believe story, for the hedge was so thick and so high that no one could see what was inside.
Sometimes a Prince would come riding by and listen to the tale, and then try and cut his way through the thick hedge, to see if there was really a beautiful Princess on the other side. But the thorns tore every one who tried to force his way through, and sometimes put out his eyes, so the Princes grew tired of trying, and each year the hedge grew taller and thicker.
